You’ll Want To Put This Easy Homemade Vegan Basil Pesto On Everything

Here’s what you need: 250g uncooked pasta of choice; 200g rosa tomatoes; olive oil and toasted pine nuts for garnishing, if you’re feeling fancy! Pine nuts are also a great way to add that nutty creaminess that Parmesan grated over a pasta would normally add to a dish.

Faithful to Nature Pine Kernels (or Pine Nuts)

Put it all together: Heat the oven to 200 ̊C. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain, stir through a small amount of olive oil to avoid sticking and set aside. While the pasta is on the go, place the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes or until slightly charred and blistering. To complete the dish, stir the pesto into the pasta and mix in the charred tomatoes. Serve garnished with the toasted pine nuts and extra lemon zest.

READ MORE: The World’s Easiest And Quickest Tomato Pasta Recipe

Vegan basil pesto tips

1. Make sure you’re using fresh, happy basil leaves. If yours are looking a little tired, rinse them under some water to awaken them again.
2. If you don’t have macadamia nuts, you can use pine nuts. This makes the dish more expensive – but you don’t have to soak them. Try cashews instead, also soaked, as a macadamia replacement.
3. You can leave out the chilli – I just like adding it for a powpow flavour.
4. If you want to keep the vegan basil pesto in the fridge for a couple days, just add a little drizzle of olive oil on top to act like a “cap”, sealing it.
5. It’s important to use good-quality extra-virgin olive oil as the flavour of the oil will be prominent.

Here’s another pesto pasta recipe to try!

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